Bethenny Frankel is sharing one of the crucial lessons she learned about coparenting following her lengthy custody battle with her ex-husband Jason Hoppy.
“Don’t try to turn your kids against your ex,” the RHONY alum, 55, warned via an Instagram video on Sunday, October 11. “No matter how active, proactive, subtle. No matter how abusive, controlling, problematic your ex is. You will end up turning your kid against you.”
Frankel spent more than a decade fighting for custody of her and Hoppy’s daughter Bryn following the demise of their marriage.
The former couple’s engagement and eventual wedding was documented on the Real Housewives of New York City spinoff Bethenny Ever After, which aired on Bravo for three seasons between 2010 and 2012.
Hoppy and Frankel exchanged vows in New York City in March 2010 and welcomed their daughter, Bryn, two months later. Their marriage proved to be short-lived as they separated in December 2012, with Frankel filing for divorce the following month.
As Frankel later revealed, her and Hoppy’s divorce proceedings and custody battle were incredibly contentious, so much so that it took until January 2021 for a judge to finally sign off on their divorce decree.
In Sunday’s video, Frankel seemingly touched on her own experience in having to coparent with Hoppy throughout their dramatic court showdowns.
“It is a long road, whatever is happening today and your [relationship with your] kids is not the same thing that will be happening in years to come,” the reality TV icon pointed out. “Play the long game. Do what is best for [the kids]. It is hard to see when they are little but the best thing for your children is to keep your thoughts, your anger, and your misery to yourself.”
Frankel recently offered a rare update on where she stands with Hoppy nearly six years after their divorce was finalized. During an interview on the “Friends Keep Secrets” podcast, Frankel shared that she and Hoppy are still “not exactly” on the best terms.
“We do coexist on this earth. We do both exist on this earth, so that’s positive,” she declared in September. “It’s been a strained year, it’s been a challenging year.”
While Frankel described her split from Hoppy as “traumatic,” she remained proud of the bond she has built with daughter Bryn, who is now 16.
“When you parent, it’s not like you parent and it happens passively. You take long drives, you hang out, you go to dinner,” she explained. “Parents are very transactional and, like, we have the meal and then we drive; it has to flow. I love her so much, [she’s] the best.”
The Sports Illustrated model added, “When we vibe and we are watching something and we’re laughing, we connect, but sometimes we’re on different paths. We’re very much like Thelma and Louise, [and] we are like roommates in a way.”
The New York native previously revealed in 2025 that she relocated with Bryn from the Big Apple to South Florida at her daughter’s request.
